Growing 'trial and error' style in Gravesend

Homeward bound

Sometimes it’s good to be home, with familiar things and sights close by. Although this week has been so much fun with my extended family doing walks, crazy golf, eating cake, ice cream and more cake as well as catching up on family news I am very glad to be home.

I write this having hastily unpacked, put on my fleece trackies and braved the cold to check on my plant babies and do some overdue watering in the greenhouse.

I am pleased and a little surprised that everything has survived so well. The Tom seedlings look a little leggy but didn’t appear to have suffered from a week on the windowsill without watering. The Aubs also look pretty healthy and the carnation cuttings have started to show roots. I have to say I’m super pleased with the cuttings that have rooted since I have had very little success with cuttings in the past.

Outside in the plastic houses everything looks green and lush. I had thought that they may have suffered from lack of direct sunlight but apart from leaning slightly they are all bigger and bushier than when I left last Friday.

The herbs are on the left and need potting on as well as the brassicas. On the right there is a mixture of dames rocket and China asters which also need potting on. Looks like I know what tomorrow will consist of!

At the plot everything in the greenhouse was my favourite spring colour (green) and looking healthy.

Another job for the next few days will be to plant out the sweet peas and beans. I aim to interplant them to encourage pollination.

The brassicas have gotten a bit bigger but I may pot them on one more time before I plant them out. I want to do more of a square foot planting method on the beds to see if this results in less pests/ higher yields but in order to accomplish this I need to wait for the early spuds to be harvested.

Other jobs for the weekend include: getting rid of the bindweed that appears to be flourishing in the empty beds, planting out the cornflowers, weeding / hoeing the new growth of thistles, planting out sunflowers, collecting nettles / comfrey for a new lot of plant tea and turning my compost heaps.